Mastering My Daily Work
Linnea Czerney
May 2011, cap on head, fake diploma in hand, family surrounding me, and me thinking “I graduated! I graduated! I graduated!” However, shortly afterward flooded the thoughts of “now what?” Of course, I would move out of my house in East Lansing, and head back home for the summer. Yet, I was not prepared for the whirlwind to come. Long term subbing - teaching summer school in Mississippi - training in North Carolina - home for vacation - orientation in North Carolina - home for a wedding - back to NC to start teaching the next day… In a matter of months, I had left everything I knew and loved in the great state of Michigan. I was suffering for something familiar, something to continue, some connection to home. What better connection than to continue my life as a learner and a Spartan.
In my first year of teaching, I knew that I still had so much more to learn and I was still in student mode. Even though I was a first year teacher, I wanted to be a Master in My Daily Work. The best decision for me was to continue with my motivation and begin my Masters degree. I still yearned for the classroom where I was the student and not the only source of information. How would I ever choose which Masters would be best? Technology was always a constant in my life, something that intrigued, inspired, and pushed me to innovative. Upon applying to the program, I was asked what my goals were for my Masters, why did I want to participate in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology? Initially, I just wanted to be a part of a learning group again; I was finding a lack of drive and professional development available to me to allow me to grow in my profession. However, upon really thinking about my mission for my Masters, I found my goals to be rather simple:
After looking at many of the available Masters programs, I feel that MAET is the one that fits my future the best. It seems as though MAET will be the most useful on a day to day basis. While at MSU, technology has played a huge role in my life, and I can only imagine that the future classroom will continue to go in a technology focused direction. I hope to build my technological repertoire and ability to integrate technology into daily lessons to enhance the content. Students associate technology with enjoyment, so by integrating it into the classroom, it may increase students’ interest and understanding of material. If I am able to engage my students through implementing these technologies, I will be a much more effective teacher, which is my goal in life.
The most useful (Masters) on a day to day basis
There has yet to be a day in my teaching career that I have not used technology in some way shape or form. I am now in my third year of teaching and every single day I access some resource or tool that I learned from this program to aid my teaching. At the time when I applied to this program, I had a good base to begin, but had no idea how frequently I would access technology during my career. Through courses in this program, I have greatly utilized technology to connect to parents. I was one of the first teachers at my school to create, manage, and update my classroom website on a weekly basis. Technology became the connection from my classroom to students’ home lives. Parents became more involved and engaged in what their child was learning. It was through this program, that I truly experimented and practiced with technology to serve this purpose. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
Classrooms are moving in a technology focused direction
My first teaching job allowed me access to an ActiveBoard, four desktop computers, a teacher laptop, laptop carts, teacher iPad, and student iPads. The technology was swirling around me. Had I not been a part of this program, it may have been easy to ignore or implement it poorly. My Masters equipped me not only with the tools to use for students, but also the best way to manage these devices to truly use them for student learning. I often saw colleagues floundering when faced with technology integration, I was able to offer my knowledge to help their classes as well.Technology in the classroom is always increasing, it is critical that teachers are able to manage the resources and students for academic achievement. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
Build my technological repertoire
As I first sought to earn my Masters, I was hoping for lists and lists of web based and application based tools. I planned to go through the lists, checking them off as I go to show all the tools I could use in my classroom during the year. I was quick to learn that is not best practices for technology integration. My focus was very instrumental; focusing on the tool at hand rather than the missional thinking of the learning target we were using it to accomplish. As a new teacher, my focus was narrow, but my aspirations of using all of Web 2.0 were huge. It is through this program that I was able to learn that it is better to use a few tools well, and improve student learning with the best tools, than trying to use them all. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
My ability to integrate technology into daily lesson to enhance the content
Initially, the presentation of information was always very one note in my classroom. While working on my Masters, I found more engaging ways to introduce, practice, and assess content in the classroom. Lessons became more engaging and I was reaching a variety of learning styles. It also gave me a way for my students to connect their learning, and extend beyond the expectations of the curriculum. My students writing improved as they wrote for a larger audience in their blogs. Those students who often struggled academically were able to show leadership when using technology. They took their learning to another level because they were always publishing their work. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
Increase students’ interest and understanding
A first year teacher starting out, never fully understands the how critical student engagement can be. When your students are not engaged or invested in the learning, your lesson is pointless. We can state the information over and over, but until a student has a reason to learn it, you might as well save your energy. Technology has a way of almost automatically buying in the students; reaching those who are more difficult with which to connect. It is through this program, that I really practiced and witnessed the interest that can be generated by using technology. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
While a part of this program, my accomplishments have been great. I have been consulted for technology implementation in my schools, and I can firmly say that because of MAET I have been given the teaching position I have now. When I was a new fish, swimming in a sea of technology, this program helped me find my way. I became a leader in my first two years and given responsibilities of veteran teachers. At the end of the year, I was even chosen as Teacher of the Year. Through my use and implementation of technology, I was able to shine, my students grew, and the school and community noticed. There are countless ways that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily life.
In my first year of teaching, I knew that I still had so much more to learn and I was still in student mode. Even though I was a first year teacher, I wanted to be a Master in My Daily Work. The best decision for me was to continue with my motivation and begin my Masters degree. I still yearned for the classroom where I was the student and not the only source of information. How would I ever choose which Masters would be best? Technology was always a constant in my life, something that intrigued, inspired, and pushed me to innovative. Upon applying to the program, I was asked what my goals were for my Masters, why did I want to participate in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology? Initially, I just wanted to be a part of a learning group again; I was finding a lack of drive and professional development available to me to allow me to grow in my profession. However, upon really thinking about my mission for my Masters, I found my goals to be rather simple:
After looking at many of the available Masters programs, I feel that MAET is the one that fits my future the best. It seems as though MAET will be the most useful on a day to day basis. While at MSU, technology has played a huge role in my life, and I can only imagine that the future classroom will continue to go in a technology focused direction. I hope to build my technological repertoire and ability to integrate technology into daily lessons to enhance the content. Students associate technology with enjoyment, so by integrating it into the classroom, it may increase students’ interest and understanding of material. If I am able to engage my students through implementing these technologies, I will be a much more effective teacher, which is my goal in life.
The most useful (Masters) on a day to day basis
There has yet to be a day in my teaching career that I have not used technology in some way shape or form. I am now in my third year of teaching and every single day I access some resource or tool that I learned from this program to aid my teaching. At the time when I applied to this program, I had a good base to begin, but had no idea how frequently I would access technology during my career. Through courses in this program, I have greatly utilized technology to connect to parents. I was one of the first teachers at my school to create, manage, and update my classroom website on a weekly basis. Technology became the connection from my classroom to students’ home lives. Parents became more involved and engaged in what their child was learning. It was through this program, that I truly experimented and practiced with technology to serve this purpose. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
Classrooms are moving in a technology focused direction
My first teaching job allowed me access to an ActiveBoard, four desktop computers, a teacher laptop, laptop carts, teacher iPad, and student iPads. The technology was swirling around me. Had I not been a part of this program, it may have been easy to ignore or implement it poorly. My Masters equipped me not only with the tools to use for students, but also the best way to manage these devices to truly use them for student learning. I often saw colleagues floundering when faced with technology integration, I was able to offer my knowledge to help their classes as well.Technology in the classroom is always increasing, it is critical that teachers are able to manage the resources and students for academic achievement. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
Build my technological repertoire
As I first sought to earn my Masters, I was hoping for lists and lists of web based and application based tools. I planned to go through the lists, checking them off as I go to show all the tools I could use in my classroom during the year. I was quick to learn that is not best practices for technology integration. My focus was very instrumental; focusing on the tool at hand rather than the missional thinking of the learning target we were using it to accomplish. As a new teacher, my focus was narrow, but my aspirations of using all of Web 2.0 were huge. It is through this program that I was able to learn that it is better to use a few tools well, and improve student learning with the best tools, than trying to use them all. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
My ability to integrate technology into daily lesson to enhance the content
Initially, the presentation of information was always very one note in my classroom. While working on my Masters, I found more engaging ways to introduce, practice, and assess content in the classroom. Lessons became more engaging and I was reaching a variety of learning styles. It also gave me a way for my students to connect their learning, and extend beyond the expectations of the curriculum. My students writing improved as they wrote for a larger audience in their blogs. Those students who often struggled academically were able to show leadership when using technology. They took their learning to another level because they were always publishing their work. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
Increase students’ interest and understanding
A first year teacher starting out, never fully understands the how critical student engagement can be. When your students are not engaged or invested in the learning, your lesson is pointless. We can state the information over and over, but until a student has a reason to learn it, you might as well save your energy. Technology has a way of almost automatically buying in the students; reaching those who are more difficult with which to connect. It is through this program, that I really practiced and witnessed the interest that can be generated by using technology. This is just one way that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily work.
While a part of this program, my accomplishments have been great. I have been consulted for technology implementation in my schools, and I can firmly say that because of MAET I have been given the teaching position I have now. When I was a new fish, swimming in a sea of technology, this program helped me find my way. I became a leader in my first two years and given responsibilities of veteran teachers. At the end of the year, I was even chosen as Teacher of the Year. Through my use and implementation of technology, I was able to shine, my students grew, and the school and community noticed. There are countless ways that I have been able to use my learning to be a Master in my daily life.